Hot local celebrity dads we can’t stop thinking about

“Hot” is often more subjective than not, and what makes a man attractive differs from woman to woman. Yes, strong arms and a charming smile don’t hurt. But we think a consensus can be made that men who show up for their family and marriage gain extra brownie points from everyone. 

Just to be clear, we are not talking about big, dramatic shows of love straight out of a romance K-drama. Rather, we believe that even the littlest gestures add up in a big way. This can mean simple home-cooked meals, being involved with the kids, and basically showing up when it matters. And if you ask us, that’s hot.

Below we have gathered – for some feel-good reading –15 hot celeb dads and the various ways they show their wives and children they love them. Fair warning, though: some of these are so sweet that you might find yourself smiling at your phone.

1. Desmond Tan

One of the Eight Dukes of Caldecott Hill, Desmond Tan has come a long way from his Star Search days in 2007 (with his feathery nape-length hair and side-swept bangs) to the suave male lead he is today.

The 38-year-old shocked fans in 2021 by announcing his marriage to his university sweetheart. While Desmond keeps the identities and faces of his wife and daughter a secret, that doesn’t stop him from publicly expressing his love for them. He’s quite a romantic too, if his third-anniversary Instagram post dedicated to his wife is any indication: “Happy 3rd anniversary! Three years, three hearts, and one love. With our little one, our love story is more beautiful than ever. My perfect trinity. 3️⃣”

As a father, he has willingly made sacrifices for his family at the expense of his career. A prominent one would be the turning down of a role for the first time in his 15 years in showbiz to welcome his baby daughter. Wanting to spend more time with his wife and (at the time) unborn daughter, he also pushed back the filming of one of his dramas to help more around the house.

2. Allan Wu

It’s no secret that the sporty Allan Wu has an athletic physique (and rippling abs), but he’s a dedicated Dad, too. The 52-year-old actor-host and father-of-two has remained actively involved in his children’s lives despite the separation between him and his ex-wife Wong Li Lin. In Nov 2024, they were both seen at their son Jonas’ graduation in a rare appearance together.

His actions of love include shearing his hair off in solidarity when Jonas enrolled in National Service. On top of that, he had been consistently saving money to fund his daughter Sage’s overseas university dreams. Despite the massive cost, Allan fully supports Sage’s desire for overseas education, wishing to provide her with the best experience in life that he can.

He also currently runs the podcast “Call Us Daddy!”, where he conducts interviews on topics such as parenting and the state of the Singapore entertainment industry.

3. Christopher Lee

When we think of prominent names in the Singapore entertainment industry, we think of Christopher Lee, considered one of Mediacorp’s heartthrobs, especially in the nineties and early 2000s — who can forget his iconic role as Yang Guo in The Return of the Condor Heroes (1998) alongside Fann Wong as Xiao Long Nu?

Speaking of which, the 53-year-old Singapore-based Malaysian actor has been married to Fann for 16 years — and it’s easy to see why they’re one of the country’s most beloved celeb couples. Reassurance is always valuable in a relationship, and Fann Wong revealed that Christopher is a partner who constantly provides that by calling her often. And when she doesn’t, he gets adorably worried.

The father-of-one is also someone who is simply happy to be wherever his family is. In Dec 2023, he posted a photo of the family overseas with a caption that had us aw-ing: “只要有你们在哪都好哪都美 (which translates to: as long as you guys are here, everywhere is good, everywhere is beautiful)”. That’s what we call a true family man.

4. Andie Chen

From throwing punches in Muay Thai to tackling Hyrox challenges, Andie Chen is one seriously fit dad. He shared that he kicked off his fitness journey three years ago, and now has a buff physique to show for it.

That’s not the only change for the 40-year-old, who has also undergone a transformation at home. They say that love changes you, and in his case, it certainly has. In an Instagram post shared in 2024, Kate revealed that when she and Andie got married in 2013, he was someone who did housework “through his words instead of his actions”.

After a decade of marriage, though, Andie has transformed into a diligent worker in the house. So much so that he even surprised Kate with a home-cooked meal — something she never would’ve imagined back then. While this may seem like a simple act for some, for someone who relied on a helper whilst growing up, these small gestures are bigger than they seem. Kate herself was more than happy with the gesture, and admitted that even she wouldn’t have seen it coming just one day earlier. The takeaway? When you love someone, you are ever-evolving.

5. Baihakki Khaizan

Baihakki Khaizan is a familiar name to local football fans, having been in Singapore’s national team. At 41 years old, he’s a father to four kids and encourages his children to pursue their passions. He actively attends his daughter’s swimming competitions, whether at school or at the National Youth Paralympics Swimming competition. He also, of course, cultivates his boys’ love for football, making it a point to guide them with his experience.

To his wife Norfasarie Mohd Yahya who he has been married to for 17 years, as she says, “he still looks at me like I’m the only one who knows where his car keys are.” He also took her to Mecca to complete the Hajj pilgrimage at the end of 2024.

6. Loh Kean Yew

If you’ve been keeping up with Singapore’s sports scene, you’d recognise badminton player and two-time Olympian Loh Kean Yew just from the acronym LKY alone. At 27 years old, he’s won hearts for both his performance on the court and his boyish charm.

The young father welcomed a baby boy in Aug 2024 after secretly marrying his now-wife in 2023. In fact, his baby arrived just ahead of his second Olympics, when he was at a training camp in Denmark. As a national athlete, motivation is pivotal in encouraging one on such a road. While he once played for himself, Kean Yew has had new-found motivation since the birth of his son. He now aims to do better for his family of three.

7. Qi Yuwu

Qi Yuwu recently celebrated his 10th anniversary with actress Joanne Peh in 2024. One thing we can say for certain is that their relationship with each other and the public has definitely changed. While they used to shy away from couple photoshoots and took care to hide their two children, a nine-year-old daughter and an eight-year-old son, from the media, a family photoshoot with a local magazine reveals an openness to the public that wasn’t there before.

That’s not to say that they have totally kept mum about their lives together. The couple shared that they take time away from the kids to just be together – as seen from their trip to the Harry Potter Visions of Magic exhibition where they pretended their kids “didn’t exist” (don’t we all need these moments). In 2023, Yuwu also posted that he sent Joanne off at the airport with their two kids for work — and took the moment to express his joy for her.

On Allan Wu’s Call Me Daddy talk show, the 48-year-old admitted he never imagined himself becoming a dad. But these days, he’s all in — focused on guiding his kids with strong values while giving them the freedom to explore and grow.

8. Adrian Ang (Sgag’s Xiao Ming)

Most of us know Adrian by his persona Xiao Ming aka the funny guy from SGAG. But behind the humorous personality and content is a surprisingly serious man. In a long heartfelt Instagram post dedicated to his wife Goh Xin Lei at the end of 2024, he said:

“Thank you for being my rock, for giving me the support and encouragement I desperately needed to begin piecing myself back together at Byron Bay. While I wanted to heal for our boy, I also wanted to heal for you — for us — because loving you better is what I really longed for.”

In The Weekly‘s Valentine’s Day studio interview with the two, they got candid about their struggles, from fertility to mental health and relationship issues. In their 10 years of marriage, the couple has weathered the storms of infertility and a miscarriage. Adrian also shared that they’ve had some tough, honest conversations about the kind of parents they wanted to be.

Now, they have their firstborn son, Zachary, who is nearly three, and a daughter Natalie who arrived on Valentine’s Day this year.

9. Zheng Geping

Who can forget Zheng Geping’s ‘hunkle’ moniker following the actor’s physical transformation years ago, after hitting the gym and turning his health around?

But that’s not all we’re awed about. The father of two has been married to Hong Huifang for 31 years, and he is not one to miss an anniversary even after three decades together. Even in 2023 when Huifang was working on a film in Taiwan, Geping managed to deliver a bouquet of red roses to her. Better yet, his initial plan was to go to visit her in person. Sadly he was held up by work, but he didn’t let that stop him from surprising her even across borders.

Also, the couple has never had a major fight in all the years they have been married! Now that’s what we call a feat.

Geping will also now have a new date to celebrate. In an Instagram post, he shared that his daughter Tay Ying is getting married in June. The post was a tear-jerker, with Geping saying, “Papa cannot be by your side forever — it’s time to let go! But never forget, this home will always have a place for you. 😉💖💕”

10. Darren Lim

Although he’s no longer a Mediacorp artiste, Darren Lim remains a household name among local viewers (or, if you don’t know his name, you’ll likely recognise his face).

When it comes to love stories, Darren only just recently revealed a surprising tidbit of his: his wife Evelyn Tan’s father initially disapproved of him, so much so that Darren was chased out of the house. But seeing how they’re still together since their marriage in 2004, you can only imagine how Darren turned things around.

The pair also recently went on their second honeymoon after two decades of marriage. There’s nothing more to be said — time (and four kids) hasn’t dulled their love.

11. Edmund Chen

Former actor Edmund Chen was a heartthrob back in the day, and it’s sometimes hard to wrap our heads around the fact that he is 63 years old (not to mention that he flaunts a rather ripped bod, too). Married to Xiang Yun for 35 years, the parents-of-two occasionally update Instagram with videos of their meals where they speak candidly with each other and to the camera. Even from these short clips, their chemistry is undeniable.

He recently visited her on set just a day after coming back from overseas. In a TikTok video, he plays the role of the smitten husband as he repeatedly makes noises of awe after seeing Xiang Yun all dressed up. He also proudly shared about his son Chen Xi’s art exhibition, which documents his time in the UK. Don’t we all love a good hype man?

12. Daren Tan

You might find Daren a familiar face if you’ve watched season two of Project Superstar where he won first place. He is a “proud dad of 2” (as quoted from his Instagram bio) and believes in positive parenting.

As a husband, he is not stingy with praise. He credits his wife of seven years Nadia Lum’s sacrifices and love for the family of four’s unity. A husband that understands the hard work you put into the family? A Prince Charming.

A quick scroll through his Instagram will also reveal that Daren’s pride and joy is his family, with most of his posts featuring his wife and his children. He shared in a post: “ I’m truly grateful and blessed for these 2 children and a selfless and wonderful wife to go through this phase of life with.”

13. T. Suriavelan

Director and actor T. Suriavalen may not come across as the type to post overly romantic content on social media (though he does share sweet photos of his wife and kids), but his wife, Rupini Anbalagan, has nothing but love for the father of two.

In a heartfelt birthday post, she wrote, “I feel lucky to have such a wonderful man in my life who means everything to me. Thank you for all you do—your hard work, patience, and love. I appreciate your support in letting me be myself and for working hard for our family. I love you, and happy birthday to my dear one.”

14. Alfred Sim

He’s athletic, has great vocals, and is a hands-on father? Now that’s a hot Dad.

We know Alfred’s a total family man with the singer and athletics coach frequently sharing his family’s cute shenanigans on his socials.

Plus, when he and his wife, fellow singer Tay Kewei tied the knot 10 years ago, they released a duet titled 以爱为豪 (yǐ ài wèi háo, loosely translated to ‘Proud of Love’) that they lovingly dub their wedding song. The title is a play on their names, with 为豪 (wèi háo) combining the 为 in Kewei’s name and 豪 from Alfred’s Chinese name. Even now after more than a decade, Alfred continues to share their wedding song and look back on it fondly. Now that’s taking the idea of ‘our song’ to the next level.

Alfred is also an involved dad, regularly sharing videos of family trips with Kewei and their three sons, and being there to cheer on his eldest, nicknamed Shen Momo, at his very first race.

15. Shan Wee

You’ve probably heard his voice on ONE FM 91.3, and behind that upbeat and smooth vocal is Shan Wee. He and his wife Mona, or Shamona as Shan affectionately calls them, celebrated their second wedding anniversary in Nov 2024. In an Instagram post, Shan confesses: “I’d be lost without you.” Just five words, but they seem to hold a world of meaning only privy to the couple.

The father-of-three (he has two kids from a previous marriage) also makes it a point to celebrate Mona on Instagram whenever the opportunity arises. This means that whether it’s Mother’s Day, International Women’s Day, or when Mona has prepared a feast that must be shared, you can be sure she’s getting a dedicated post.

This article first appeared in Singapore Women’s Weekly.